Hi all, Ben here. It’s Tuesday afternoon and we are currently in the midst of one of the most dangerous moments in history. Here’s what we’re tracking as of now:
Trump posts to Truth Social threatening to wipe out Iran: “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again”
Marjorie Taylor Greene, Alex Jones, and others on the far right call for the 25th Amendment after Trump’s post
Massive U.S. and Israeli strikes hit Tehran, Kharg Island, railways, and bridges across Iran
Iranians form human chains around power plants and bridges as strikes intensify
The nuclear question: why Trump’s threats have serious people raising the possibility of a nuclear strike
Iran warns it will plunge the entire Middle East into darkness and close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if power infrastructure is targeted
U.S. troops wounded in the war now exceed 370, as Pete Hegseth’s rosy battlefield assessments unravel and trouble officials
Trump signals a possible extension of his 8 p.m. strike deadline
JD Vance is in Budapest doing Putin’s bidding, campaigning for Viktor Orban while accusing Ukraine of election interference
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OK, now let’s dive into the details.
Trump’s Truth Social Post
Early this morning, Donald Trump posted to Truth Social: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.” He closed it with “God Bless the Great People of Iran.” Read that again. He threatened to obliterate an entire civilization and then, in the same breath, said God bless the Iranian people. What he’s describing is genocide. War crimes. And now, the entire world is on edge.
Even Marjorie Taylor Greene Is Calling for the 25th
Here’s something I genuinely did not have on my bingo card: Marjorie Taylor Greene is now calling for the 25th Amendment. She posted: “25TH AMENDMENT!!! Not a single bomb has dropped on America. We cannot kill an entire civilization. This is evil and madness.” Alex Jones said the same thing. When Marjorie Taylor Greene and Alex Jones are the voices of restraint in your movement, something has gone catastrophically, irreversibly wrong. Most people in this country who are thinking clearly already know the 25th Amendment needs to be invoked. The fact that Trump’s own base is now saying it publicly tells you everything.
Iran Cuts Off All Communications
After that post, Iran shut down every channel. The Wall Street Journal, citing three Iranian officials, confirmed that Iran has cut off communications with the U.S. entirely, not just direct talks, but through intermediaries as well. Pakistan and Qatar, who had been relaying messages, have been told to stop. I was actually awake around 1 or 2 a.m. when I saw a post from Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, that read like a possible olive branch — something about Pakistan’s efforts to stop the war approaching a “critical, sensitive stage.” I’ll be honest, I let myself feel a little hopeful for about thirty minutes. Then the explosions started.
Strikes on Tehran, Kharg Island, Railways, and Bridges
U.S. and Israeli forces launched some of the largest strikes of this war. Explosions were reported across Tehran as fighter jets flew over the capital. Attacks hit the Khajir and Parchin sites. Reports came in of strikes against Kharg Island in the northern Persian Gulf, Iran’s primary oil export terminal. The IDF announced it attacked eight bridges inside Iran. Netanyahu confirmed strikes on railways and bridges used by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Israel’s senior security officials are now publicly saying “Iran will burn.” Nobody can claim they didn’t know.
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Now back to our report.
Iranians Form Human Chains Around Power Plants and Bridges
As all of this was happening, videos began circulating online of ordinary Iranian civilians forming human chains around power stations and key infrastructure, including the White Bridge in Ahvaz, the Bisotun Power Plant in western Iran, the Tabriz Power Plant in the northwest. These are people with no weapons, no military training, standing between themselves and U.S.-Israeli airstrikes because of Trump’s threats.
Iran’s President and the Nuclear Question
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said over 14 million Iranians have declared their readiness to sacrifice their lives in defense of their country, and that he himself is prepared to be among them. Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official told Axios that Trump is “the most bloodthirsty, like a mad dog,” and that Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio “sound like the doves” by comparison. Think about that framing for a second.
And then there’s the nuclear question, which is on a whole lot of minds today. The Guardian is now reporting that Trump’s threats have escalated to the point where the use of a nuclear weapon is being described as a distinct possibility. The White House is denying it’s being considered. But under the U.S. system, a president has sole authority to order a nuclear launch. The only legal check is whether those in the chain of command deem the order illegal. In my view, and I’d argue in any reasonable person’s view, that obligation to refuse exists right now. Trump threatened to end an entire civilization. How else do you interpret that?
Iran’s Warnings to the Region
Senior Iranian sources told Reuters that if the U.S. attacks Iran’s power plants, the entire regio, including Saudi Arabia, will fall into complete darkness. They said their allies, the Houthis, are prepared to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea. Iran already controls the Strait of Hormuz. Closing the Bab el-Mandeb would effectively lock down two of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints simultaneously. These threats were relayed to the Trump administration through Pakistan and Qatar just yesterday.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has already issued an advisory telling Indian nationals in Iran to stay away from electric installations, military sites, and multi-story buildings for the next 48 hours. Countries are quietly preparing for what comes next.
Over 370 U.S. Troops Wounded
The Pentagon’s tally now shows more than 370 U.S. service members wounded in this war. About two-thirds are Army. And Pete Hegseth has been out there boasting about “complete control of Iranian skies” and “uncontested airspace” while we’ve had F-15Es and A-10s shot down. The Washington Post is now reporting that U.S. officials are alarmed that Hegseth’s statistics are misleading both the public and even Trump himself.
Trump’s Deadline…and a Possible Extension
Trump signaled to Fox News that while the U.S. is prepared to strike after his 8 p.m. deadline, “that could change” if talks show “something concrete.” An Axios report described “progress” in the last 24 hours while also acknowledging a ceasefire by the deadline “still seems distant.” Is Trump looking for an off-ramp? Time will tell.
JD Vance in Hungary, Doing Putin’s Work
While all of this is happening , while we are on the edge of a catastrophic regional war, possibly something worse, JD Vance is in Budapest delivering a speech in support of Viktor Orban ahead of Hungary’s election. He told the crowd he wants to “help as much as I possibly can” to get Orban re-elected, accused Ukrainian intelligence of rigging both American and Hungarian elections, and attacked the European Union as foreign election interferers. The man is literally in a foreign country, giving a speech designed to influence their election, while accusing others of doing exactly that. The talking points he’s using are straight out of the Kremlin. This is not hyperbole — the destruction of the EU and NATO through the propping up of Putin-aligned leaders is explicit in the administration’s own foreign policy documents for 2026 and 2027.
Retired General Mark Hertling has been saying publicly that uniformed military commanders may need to step in. We are well past a constitutional crisis, and Congress and the Supreme Court are largely absent from the conversation.
We Won’t Stop Talking About Epstein. Ever.
The Epstein cover-up continues. We will never stop talking about it. Today, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Donald Trump’s former personal criminal attorney, hinted at new ways he planned on covering up the Epstein investigation. Speaking to the press, Blanche refused to commit to not invoking privilege claims to block recently fired AG Pam Bondi from testifying. A reminder: the other day, Blanche said that the DOJ under his command was done with Epstein. But he underestimates the American people.
We will keep you updated as developments come in. This is one of those moments where history is being made in real time, and not in a good way. Ron Filipkowski will publish his daily bulletin later today with a full recap of all the day’s news. Stay tuned. Stay informed. And thanks for subscribing.
